Sunday 31 May 2015

Beef and Bacon Sliders with Caramelized Shallots


Beef and Bacon Sliders with Caramelized Onions
These are tasty little square burgers that are topped with caramelized shallots. This recipe is great for company as it makes 24 mini burgers. The ground beef is mixed with uncooked chopped bacon which gives these little burgers taste and juiciness. The bacon and ground beef are combined and then pressed into a baking sheet and divided into 24 equal portions. A very easy and quick way to make a lot of burgers. In this recipe I made my own little mini Brioche buns but feel free to use any small bun of your liking. I slather each toasted bun with mayonnaise and a little ketchup, lettuce and then the onions, but add what you like. You can caramelize regular onions if you don't have shallots.

Shannon

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Steak and Cheese Panini Wrap



This is one of our favourite Panini wraps. I love to make a bunch and wrap them up so they are ready to throw on the Panini maker. They are filled with steak, bell peppers, onions, cheese and chipolte sauce.

Saturday 23 May 2015

Chicken Parmigiana With Pasta


My family rates this recipe a ten out of ten. The chicken is crisp and tasty,  the tomato sauce is fresh and then it is topped with cheese all nestled over pasta.   Serve this dish with a vegetable like broccoli or a salad. I usually double this recipe as my family loves leftovers!!

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Bacon Chicken Jalapeno Dip

There are other recipes similar to this, sometimes called "Jalapeno Popper Dip", but this recipe turned out delicious (I think it was the sharp white cheese and garlic) Sorry I did not take a picture after it was baked. By the time I remembered my family had ate it all!!!!

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Quick and Easy Layered Salad




This is such a all round great salad. I love making this salad for company or to take to a function when I am asked to bring a salad. Usually layered salads are presented in a trifle bowl or deep glass bowl. This presentation is beautiful but time consuming and a little difficult to serve. This salad is layered in a 9x13 baking dish which is easy to make, serve and transport. Great make ahead salad. Simply make in the morning and chill in fridge. The dressing sits over top the frozen peas so it does not get all soggy. More than anything this salad is a real crowd pleaser, loved by all. What is also nice about this salad is that if it doesn't get finished it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. I made this salad on a Saturday and we ate the leftovers on Monday, as long as the layers are intact this salad keeps very well. Be creative and add different veggies but just remember to layer the dressing over the frozen peas.
Hope you enjoy it as much as me!
Shannon

Wednesday 6 May 2015

Dump Cake

 
This is so easy to make you won't believe it. The name of this recipe gives it away, simply dump all the ingredients into the baking dish and you have dessert. It reminds me of apple crisp but it combines canned cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple and the cake mix is like a crumble topping.  Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream. I like it all by itself. I found this recipe in a old recipe book from the early seventies and then did a little research online and there are many variations of a dump cake. This would be a great recipe to make with your kids as it is so easy. 
Enjoy Shannon

Sunday 3 May 2015

Thai Chicken Lettuce Boats



I absolutely love the lettuce wraps from the Original Joe's restaurant. This recipe is very close if not better and very simple to make at home.Servings: 8
Ingredients

2 small heads romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
1 red or yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped or grated fresh ginger (you'll need a thick 2-inch piece)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 rotisserie chicken meat roughly chopped (not shredded),
¾ cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. soya sauce
4 Tbsp. fish sauce
¼ thai chili and ginger sauce (you could substitute sweet chili sauce)
2 teaspoons lime zest, from 2 limes
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, from 2-3 limes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch green onions finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
chow mein noodles (crisp)
1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews or peanuts

Optional For Serving
  • Sriracha 
  • Finely sliced carrots 
  • Lime wedges 

Instructions

Cut bottoms off the romaine lettuce. Wash lettuce and separate the leaves. Let it dry on paper towel while you prepare the rest of the menu.

Heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion,garlic, ginger, and and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the red peppers and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the chopped roasted chicken, then 1/2 of the green onions, lime zest grated carrots. Add the sauce ingredients and continue cooking, stirring frequently. Off the heat, stir in the remaining green onions, cilantro, chow mein noodles and nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with optional garnishes.

Cut the bottoms of the lettuce, separate, wash and dry on paper towel.

Remove chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken and dice.


  1. Heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion,garlic, ginger, and and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4-5 minutes.

Add chopped red pepper

Add chopped chicken

Add grated carrot and green onions and continue to cook.

Add sauce ingredients. Remove from heat and add chopped green onions, cilantro , nuts and noodles.